Roller cultivator



".July 14, '1925.

A. s. KRoTz ROLLER CULTIVATOR s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6, 1921 @3313 b auw/Lega; @half/m1,

' July 14,1925. lmsgssfa A. S.- KROTZ ROLLER CULTIVATOR Filed Sept. 6, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 aumenten Az m R0 s. /forz @3312* bia @bho/cnwn- July 14, 1925. 1,545,564

A. s. KRo'rz ROLLER CULTIVATOR Filed Sept. 6, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mi f4 44 L aumenten: /lzmwlffrorz @bis/abra; n i y;

1 teethv enter the grou-ndt Patented July 14, 1925.

j unfrei) Awans? s-4 ROTA @el @merma animeren; ro.. unf-:diei GOaPQaATION, f? DEU-Role Mamma; e, @91u01www?` 011 Deneuve Roni-'Efe @LTU-eroe Appunti@ filed septpemer e, 1921. serial 1re-49eme'. n

To aZZ whom t 'muy concern B e it known that I, ALVARO Know,- a citizen of the United States ot America,and

residentiel?` Janesville, county oflRock,` andv Y State ofgiscon'si-nf have inventedVV certain new and useful Improvements ijn Rollei- Cu`ltivators, of; which Vthe following fulh clealggconcise, and' exact description; sueh as will enable others skilledv inthe art to which the invention relates to malte and use the same, reference being madetherein fr drawings, which forni as a el'iltivator the implement where-l in my invention consists is not .intend-4 ed, primarily, for use in cultivating growing crops;- and the teeth' which forma part thereof while shown as teeth Such as culti-V vato'rs are usually equipped with 4may be replaced by teeth such as are used in rows ojr by other teeth adapted to' dig up* the soil. In fact the teethof th'eimpleifnent il-` lustrated could aswell be designated as har? row teeth, as cultivator teeth: The principal' object of my invention is to provide an implement of the classi referred:

to having improved mechanism for 4conneeting the roller and relierl frame with*- the" cultivator trame, aricllfte"A proi'frde im proved mechanism for? adjusting the two frames relative to one another to thereby' vary lthe depth to which the ycultivator A further object di' my inventien'is to provide certaii-i improvements in' and -relatL ing to various elementsV an'dparts of' an im! plement of theJ ty e or class' above referred" to. all@ as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Vifth the above anidf otherobjects of invention in viewi myin'vention coi'rsists in the improved rollercultia'fator illustrated inthe accompanying drawings' and hereinafter` de and modifi-cations thereof;A

in the ,scope to those skilled in the to which my' in"- vention relates. f i' l In'the drawings accompanying andv forni! ing a part ofl this Ispecifi"cat-ion"and wherein the preferred embodiment or my irfvntipl' is illustratedz" l i Figure l? is ya ViewV showing my improved roller cultivator in perspective. f y

'Figure 2 isfa fragmentary view illuetat` ing`A` `the principaly parts" of an'4 adjusting meehansm for' varyligjthe relative pds'itine of the roller andthe teethl fthe implement:

`'ligures 3' 41 are -fli'agmentiry view/s showing ecrape'r mechanism l for' keeping' the wheels of therollerf clean. i y Figui-e5 isi` a view showingone off the two bearing brackets' for supporting the' ende of the roller shaft.` A V y Figure 6 is a view `showing one of three' bearing sleeves whereby 'a square rollerY ad!` jiilsfting shaft of the' implement is `s'pprtediin` round bearings carried by the' roller frame. y

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspectiveview showing the manner in which ajceitralspacing link for the roller lcari-ying frame ifsA connectedavith the eultivator'fram'e o the" i1`n1l3leinent-f`-` i j I V Figure 8 isavsiniilar: view showinghow' the end-s oftwolteeth Carrying gang f the Culembor frame are Connected 'wie the side bars of the iframe'. t l

Figure 9f'i's a fragmentary vieu'fshowing one olthe holding devices for the' fro-nt teeth of the cultivator 'gang perspective.'y Figure l() is a similar view-fs'howing the mechanism for' securing one of the rear `teeth offfthe cultivaltor t thegang bars whereby all theteeth are carried.)f "Refer-ring now to the drawings',4 the reifer v ence numerals `1l, 12 designate twoJ gang bars'eiitending transversely to thepath of travelfoi the implement or substantially so` and disposed one above the other,` andfwhich` l b'ars'are spacedfapa'rt'andfserve as a support' for a series of alternately arranged'gfrenti and/rear Cultivator teeth; the front teeth being designated by the reference numerals'f` land having straight Shanks` 14, while the; rear"` teeth lhave bent Shanks I6y whereby they are held in psi'tins to ythe rearof the` front teethl` "The en'ds of these gang"barsv are secured to' the foruardlyc'onverging side or.' draft bars 1T`18`of tli'ecultivatnrfraine (Said gang *bars `also constituting" a 'part of lthe cultivator frame regarded in its entirety brackets 19 are fastened to the draft bars 17 18 .by bolts 24 extending through registernv holes in said brackets and draft bars. central frame bar 25 extends Vat its rear end between the gang bars 11, 12 as best shown in.Figure 7 yand the three bars nor frame members arefsecuredtogether asy by means of a clip 26 fastened to the central lframe bar and an eye bolt27 the shank of which 'eX-l tends through registering openings-,in said gang bars and said clip. The front ends of the side and central frame .bars are secured together as by means of bolts 28, and a draw head 29 whereby the implement may be drawn by a tractor or other agency is fastened between the forward ends `of the outer frame barsas by bolts 30.; althoughfit will beappreciated thatrivets or equivalent fastening elements may be used instead of bolts in each instance wherein bolts have, been hereinbefore referred to. o Y

The various bars and connecting members above referred to form `the cultivator frame ofi-theY implement wherein my invention consists, the rear transverse bars 11, 12thereof being .also properly designated as gang bars becausethey serve as a support for .the series ofvgcultivator teeth; 13, 15.which collectively constitute a cultivator gang@ The manner in which'the or thickness of. which v is `substantially the.

same as the distance apart ofthe gangA bars sothat it fits closely between them, and the inside widthof which corresponds approXi-,

mately with the lesser dimension or ywidth ofl the tooth'shank 14; sc that the shank-canhave but little sidewise movementv without 5 suchvkmovement being arrested'v by the, side portions of the Ushapedlclip- Asaddle plate 32 is disposed opposite the clip 31 and has ianges33 at` its upper and lower ends S which hook ,over the rear-'edges of ther gang `bars and hold the saddleffplate inplace, and

at the same time preventv the bars from spreading.

througha, holeinthe saddle plateand the eye cfwhichreceives apin'l35 whichentends e `mit tethis' are adjustably fastened tothegang bars 11,4

The numeral 34 designates -1 an eye bolt the threaded shank ofjwhich extendsthrough holes adjacent-the. free ends of the sides of the U-shaped clip 31.

The above construction permits the clip 31 and saddle plate 32 to be moved along the gang bars to adjust the teeth 'along the same,

andthe tooth shank to move'y up and down to adjust the tooth verti-' within the clip cally';'while the fact that the Shanks of the teeth fit closely between the sides ofthe clip and the clip its tightly in between the gang bars, together with the holding action of the overhanging ledges 33ofthe saddlefplate, prevents sidewise tipping of the tooth when the eye bolt 34 is tightened to fasten the parts. together. Whenthetooth is properly adjusted and the eye-bolttightened there is nov possibility of sidewise tipping of the tooth shank independently of the clip and of the gang bars, as all forces tending to produce such sidewise tipping are transmitted throughv the tooth holding mechanism above described to the gang bars through non-yieldable elements which `are in direct contact with one another. at -allwtimes Likewise the rear teeth 15 of the gang are adjustably held upon the gang bars and prevented` from tipping sidewise by holding means the elements of which are non-yielding in character throughout, and :similar in construction and operation tothose above referred to for the front teeth; said means comprising in each case a U-shaped holding clip36, ysee Figure 10, the height ofwhich corresponds with the distance `between the gang bars, a saddleplate 37 having ledges 38 which hook over the front edges of the gang bars, and bolts 39 -which extend through holes in the saddleplate and in outwardly bent lugs at the ends of the side portion of the clip. f y

The roller mechanism of my improved roller cultivator comprises va disc or wheel supporting shaft 40 upon which a series of 'independent discs or wheels 41 are support.- ed and uponfwhich" they are independently rotatable; said wheels having each a central ridge 42 as. shown in Figure 3 so that the action of the wheels-will be toform Y ridges with intervening depressions or channels 'in the soil uponV which the implement` operates. Y v The ends ofthe roller shaft v40 are. supported in bearings 43 having trunnions 44,

see Figurer, whereby said4 ends` are supported between the lowerends of twolvertically arranged -U-shaped end frame mem-,-

bers 45 secured to and depending fronitwo transversely extendingv frame bars A46', 47,;

the parts being fastened together by boltsor equivalent fastening'members as shownvto'. thereby 'provide' a roller supporting frame.'

The end frames are provided with eye bolts other in pairs at each end` of the roller" -frame, the same having eyes at their rear ends interengaged withY the eye bolts 48, 49. The front ends of these links are bent at right angles and extend through holes provided in the draft brackets 21, 22 hereinbefore referred to and wherein said forwardl endsl are shown as retained by suitable cotter pins.` y I The draft connections above described providel mechanism whereby the roller frame and roller wheels are pivotall-y` connected with and are drawn from the cultivator frame; and provide also mechanism whereby the end frames 45, 45 are maintained in vertical positions, because of the parallel arrangement of the draft links, whatever may be the relative positions vertical-ly of thecultivator and roller frames of the implement. y

The cultiva-tor and roller frames are. adjusted vertically relative to one another to thereby vary the depth to which the cultivator4 teeth enter the soil by means of an angularlv adjustable shaft 52 shown as square in cross-section and which shaft is supported! ifn three bearing sleeves 53 rotatably supported@ inf-bearings 54`carried by the roller frame and extending upwardly therefrom.

Secured to the adjusting shlaft 52 and eX- tending forwardly therefrom are three arms 55 the forward ends of which are pivotally and adjustably connected with a like number of vertically disposed links 56, and the lower ends of which are similarly connected with rearward extensions of the cultivator frame bars 17, 18 and 25; and the numeral 57 designates an arm secured to and extending upward from the bar 52 and having a trunnion nut 58 at its upper end through which the threaded rear end of a rotatable `adjusting rod 59 extends; The front end of secured to the cultivator frame bars; anda crank 62 is provided for rotating said rod to thereby impart angular' movement to the adjusting shaft 52 and vary the relative levels of the cultivator and roller frames, because of the connections between the two frames provided by the arms and the links 56; the roller frame beingV kept upright in alladjustments by the pairs of parallel draft links 50, 51 at the ends thereof, and the rear end of the cultivator frame being alwayssupported from the ground by the roller, the Vroller frame, and the connecting mechanism between the cultivator and roller frames, as will be understood.

It will also be understood that the roller adjusting mechanism above described provides an implement wherein the roller as a whole may be depressed to such an extent yin4 other cases, where it isv required that the teeth be prevented from entering the: soil.

The middle portions of the cultivator and roller framesV are shownv as connected with one another by a link 63 having eyes at its ends which connect with` the eye bolt 27 hereinbefore mentioned and with an eyebolt64 carried by the roller frame, where- Vby said middle portions are kept properly spaced apart and-possible bending of the roller frame is prevented'.

The reference numeral 65 designates scrapersfcarried by the rear frame bar 47 of the roller frame and the lower properly shaped; ends of which lie in the grooves between the ridges 42, of adjoining roller wheels 41, the Ipurpose of said elements being to prevent the accumulation of dirt in thel grooves, as willv be understood. The roller wheels are quite loose upon the rollerslraft and are capable of considerable sidewise movement along the same; and the Scrapers areV loosely connected with the frame bar 47 so that their liower ends arel free to swing sidewise and follow such movement of the rollers along tlre shaft as occurs as by means of pins 66 extending through the `sides of loops provided at the upper vends lof thel sera-pers, and through compaia-tively largeholes 67 in the scraper bar, or by means of a pin 68 lying entirely below the roller `frame bar, all as clearly shown Figures 3 and 4 olf the drawings.

Having thus described and `explained my invention, l claim `and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 4

1. In `a roller cu-ltivator of the class described, a cultivatorJ frame; means the Vfront end of lsaid cul'tivator frame whereby the same may be connected with a suitable hauling agency;V a `.plurality of cultivator teeth carried by said-cultivator frame;- a transversely extending roller frame pivotally connected with vthe rear end of said cul., tivator framel and` movable vertically relative there-to; a ground engaging roller carried by said roller fralme; anangularlyac'l- Vjustable shaft carried by said roller frame;

means for adjusting said-shaft angularly; and means whereby the' rear end of saidcult-ivator frame is supported from said roller and roller frame through said shaft.

2; In a roller ycultivator of the class described, a cultivator frame; means at the front end of said cultivator frame whereby, the same may be connected with a suitable hauling agency; a plurality of cultivator Cil Eri

teeth carried by said- 'cultivator frame; a transversely extending roller frame pivotall connected with the rear end ofsaid cul.-

tivator frame and kmovable vertically relative thereto; a ground'engaging rollercarrled by said rollerframe; an angularly adjustable shaft carried by Vsaid roller frame; means carried by said cultivator frame for,l

adjusting said shaft angularly; a plurality of foryardly extending armsv carried by said shaft; and links through which the' free ends ofsaid arms are pirotally vconnected with the rear end of` said cultivator frame.

' 3. In 'a roller Vcultivator of'. the class kde-.-

scribed; a vciiltivatorframepmeans atV ,the front end of saidjcultisiator frame whereby the same may be eonnectedwith a suitable hauling agency; plurality 1. of' cultivator teeth carriedby said cultivator framegya transversely extending. rollerframe -vcomprising two vertically arranged' end-frame members, and means for connecting/said' end frame members together; a groundengaging rollerrsupported in bearings carried by' and located adjacent the lower'ends of said end frame members; connecting mecha-1 nism whereby said roller frame-isconnect-1 ed with the rear end of said cultivator frame; and whereby said end frame membersare held in vertical positions and are drawn by said eultivator frame; and means for4 ad-` justing ksaid roller frame and therear end" of said cultivator frame vertically` relative to one another.'

il. In Va roller cultiyator of the class vde-i scribed; a vcultivator vframe; vmeans at the front end of said 'cultivator frameizwhereby the same may beconnected witha suitable hauling agency;a pluralityof cultivator teeth carried by y transversely extending roller frame comprising two vertically arranged end frame members; and meansfor connecting the upper ends of said end frame members together;

'a ground engaging roller supported in bearings carried by and located' adjacent the lower ends of saidend frame members; draft mechanism whereby saidend frame members are connected with the rear end of. said cultivator frame andwhereby said members are held in upright pois'tions; and means carried by said roller frame and cooperating with'said draft'mechanism whereby said roller frame and the rear end of said cultivator frame ma be adjusted vertically relative to one anot er. f l

5.' In a roller cultivator'of the class described, a'cultiva-torframe; means at the said cultivator: frame; a

draft links associated with each of saidendL frame members, said'links being arranged one above the other and their forward ends` being pivotally connected with 'said cultiyator frame; and their rear ends being pivot- `ally connected with the end frame member; an" angularly adjustable-shaft carried byA said rolle-r frame; means for adjusting said shaft angularly; and meansA whereby .the rear end of said cultivator frame is supportedfrom said ground engaging roller through said roller frame and said shaft.

Y6. In a roller cultivator of theclass described, al cultivato'r frame; means at thev front end of 'said cultlvator frame whereby the same maybe connectedwith a suitable hauling` agency; a plurality' ofV cultivator teeth carried by said cultivator frame; a transversely extending roller frame comprising two `vertically arranged end frame members; and means for connecting thevupper ends of said end framemembers together;

a ground engaging roller supported in bear ingsearriedby and located adjacent the low-vv er ends of said end frame members; two

draft links associated with each of said end framemembers, saidlinks being arranged one above the other and their forward ends being pivotally connected with said cultivator frame, and their rear ends being pivotally connected with the end frame member; an angularly adjustable shaft carried by said roller frame; means carried by said cultivator `frame androperativ'ely connected with said shaft for adjusting the sameangularly; aplurality of forwardly extending arms carried bysaid shaft; Vand 'links intermediate the free ends of said arms and the rear end of said cultivator frame and through which said rear Vend is supported from said ground' engaging .rollerV through saidroller supporting frame7 said kshaft and the arms aforesaid.

ture.

ALVARO s. Knorz.

VIn testimony whereof I affixy my signa- 

